Oil gas generator



Mardi 28, 1944. M. M. BRANDEGEE OIL GAS GENERATOR Filed sept. 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ulm.

INVENTOR Maan/ M. .5MM/05655 V ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R O T N E v m {W4-04PM ATTORNEY M. M( BRANDEGEE OIL GAS GENERATOR Filed Sept. 14, -1939 March 28, 1944.

Patented Mar. 28, 1944 OIL GAS GENERATOR Morris M. Brandegee, Plainfield, N. J., assignor to Combustion Utilities Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application September 14, 1939, Serial No. 294,803

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of combustible gas from petroleum oil in externally heated retorts or ovens, and more particularly concerns an improved method of and apparatus for converting petroleum oils into combustible gas in an externally heated chamber containing a cracking atmosphere of hydrogen containing gas.

It is frequently desirable to utilize an externally heated retort of the type commonly used for the distillation of solid fuel such as a coke oven for the purpose of generating a combustible gas from petroleum oil rather than from the coal for which the retort was originally designed. Such retorts are in general not Well adapted to the purpose in as much as they are usually relatively long. The circulation of injected petroleum in such a structure is poor and the distribution of heat is unfavorable. It is therefore among the objects of this invention to provide for the conversion of such coke ovens into an apparatus producing oil gas while a-t the same time obviating the above mentioned defects.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of maintaining a controlled cracking atmosphere in such externally heated retorts and to this end it is a feature of this invention to provide a process in which a portion of the make gases containing hydrogen are recirculated and are mixed with the atomized oil entering the retort.

It is a further object of the invention to pro- Vide an apparatus in which the above mentioned process may be effected.

It is a furtherobject of this invention to provide an arrangement in which any carbon deposit or soot resulting from the cracking of the oil is prevented from entering the gas off-take passage and is deposited in a manner in which it may be quickly and easily removed.

It is a further object of the invention to regulate the depth of cracking, which is well known to be a function of both temperature and contact time, by regulating the amount of recircu-I lation to increase or decrease the contact time in the primary cracking chamber and thus regulate the calorific value of the produced gas for a given temperature.

The above and other objects and features of` the invention will be apparent to" those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l represents a section through the retort of an externally heated coke oven constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 represents a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a portion of battery of retorts equipped in accordance with the present inven' tion. Figure 3 is a detail showing on an enlarged scale the fuel injector and associated parts. Figure 4 is a detail of a damper. Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figure 1 showing modified forms of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral I0 indicates a retort or oven having walls I2 of refractory material which are externally heated by the circulation of hot gases through the usual flues. The retort I0 is of the type provided with conventional charging holes I6, for supplying a coal charge thereto, and a removable end portion i8 for normally removing the coke. The combustible gas generated in the retort is removed by way of an offtake 20 leading to a conventional hydraulic main. The interior of the retort is divided by means of a partition 24 into two chambers 26 and 28 which are in continuous communication by way of an opening 3B in the upper portion of the partition 24 and also by way of an opening 32 in the lower portion of the partition 24.

The opening 32 is preferably obstructed by a bed of refractory material formed of loose fragments, bricks or coke, as indicated at 3l. This material forms a lter through which the gases must pass in flowing from chamber 26 to chamber 28 and while this filter is not essential it is desirable particularly where heavy oil is used in the process. An injector 34 projects through the upper portion of one of the end walls of the retort and extends across the chamber 28 to a point adjacent to the opening 30 of the partition 24. Passages 36 and 38 supply oil and steam respectively to the injector 34 and passage 40 provides a means for supplying combustible gas or air to the retort when desired. The injector is preferably constructed so that the atomizing steam and oil traverse a long tube 42 extending centrally of the injector 34, while the combustible gas or air supply passage 40 opens into a tube 44 surrounding and jacketing the steam and fuel oil tube 42.

In the operation of the device, above described, the retort is heated to the desired temperature (1400 to 1900o F.) and oil and atomizing steam are then supplied through the passages 36 and 38. In passing through the-long tube 42 whichtraverses the chamber 28 the steam and the oil are highly heated and are discharged in a A portion of the gases flowing upwardly through chamber 28 pass to the offtake 20 and another portion are drawn by the injector action of the steam and oil passing through the restricted opening 36 which preferably is formed as a Venturi throat, back into the chamber 26.y

A hot, hydrogen containing atmosphere' t-horoughly commingled with the atomized fuel is thus built up and maintained in the cracking chamber 26.

When desired a gas cracking atmosphere may be supplied from an external source by way of passage 4U to the tube 44 surrounding the oil gas tube 42. Such gas supply can be closely regulated to control the time of the passage of the ator'nized oil through the cracking chamber. A damper 46, formed of a collar slidable on tube 44 may be moved toward or away from the opening 30 by the insertion of a furnacehook through an opening 48 in mounting plate 56 to partially or totally obstruct the flow of recirculating gases from the chamber 28 to the chamber 26. When the opening is totally obstructed the cracking atmosphere may be supplied from an external source by way of tube 44. In either case, means are provided for controlling the rate of flow hydrogen containing gas to the chamber 26 in order to control the time of contact therein.

Under some circumstances it is desirable to opcrate the structure when the damper 46 totally obstructs communication between the chamber 28 and the chamber 26 although no additional gas is supplied through the tube 44. This occurs when the temperature within the chamber 26 is sufficient to continuously generate the desired cracking atmosphere, while the rate of generation is sufficient to maintain the proper Contact time within this chamber.

Air may be supplied when desired by way of a valve controlled passage 4l also opening into tube 44. This will be advantageous for the purpose of speeding up the initial heating of the retort or for altering the composition of the gas produced.

It will be obvious from the above description that the invention may be applied to conventional forms of coke or other retorts or ovens without great structural changes therein. This may be accomplished simply by building the partition 24 within the retort and providing the injector opening as indicated above one of the end doors and providing an outlet passage either through a separate opening or through one of the charging holes.

When relatively heavy oil is used there may be a formation of Iamp black in the chamber 26 in the course of the cracking process. This lamp black or other carbon is deposited in the filter bed and may be easily removed by opening the end door and raking out the coke or refractory material forming the filter bed. When a light fuel oil is used the filter may be omitted.

Figure 5 represents a modified form of the invention which is particularly suitable for use in retorts or ovens which are of considerable length. In this instance the partition 52 has a portion 54 which extends lengthwise of the retort or diagonally thereof to insure that the gases circulating in the chamber will pass substantially the full length thereof without leaving largedead or stagnant spaces. In this example as before the partition 52 is provided with an opening 56 in the upper portion thereof and a fuel injector 5S, similar to injector 34, is adapted to inject a stream of atomized fuel through this opening into a chamber in the same manner as has been described in connection with the form of the invention shown in Figure 1.

An opening 60 is provided in the lower portion of the partition and its function is in general the same as that of the lower opening 32 of Fig. 1. The operation of this form of the invention will be readily understood from the description of the operation of the form shown in Fig. 1 and its advantages in securing a continuous circulation of gaseous contents of the retort will be obvious. ,In this form also a second injector 62 may be provided adjacent the lower opening 60 with the added advantage of more evenly distributing the heat in a long chamber.

The form shown in Fig. 6 is in general similar to the form shown in Fig. 1 except that the circulation of the gases by the two chambers is not effected by the entraining action of the atomized j-et of oil but by means of an impelling device 64, adapted to draw a portion of the gases from the offtake 66 and return them to the retort at a point adjacent the atomized fuel stream by Way of valve controlled pipe 61.

I have herein described three embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments within the scope of the appended claims will be obvious to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the drawings and description of the forms shown.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing oil gas comprising an externally heated retort, a partition dividing said retort into two separate chambers, said partition having an opening therethrough providing free communication between said chambers, a liquid fuel injector having its nozzle adjacent said opening, said opening and said injector being constructed and arranged so that gases in one of said chambers are ejected therefrom into the other of said chambers into which the liquid fuel is injected, said partition having an opening in the lower portion thereof for repassage of the gas into said first named chamber so located that said opening can be covered and obstructed by loosely piled refractory or coke, and means for withdrawing gas for use from said first named chamber.

2. An apparatus for producing oil gas comprising an externally heated retort, a partition dividing said retort into two separate chambers, impelling means in communication with each of the said separate chambers, a liquid fuel injector with its nozzle in communication with one of said chambers, means for withdrawing gas for use from the other of said separate chambers, and said partition having an opening in the lower portion thereof so located that it can be covered and obstructed by loosely piled refractory or coke.

MORRIS M. BRANDEGEE. 

